All the Devils' hottest news, from notes to numbers to neutral-zone traps

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Defenseman Mike Mottau told me today that a report that he is "close" to re-signing with the Devils is "not true" and there have not been any significant contract negotiations since the team's season ended.

"We just had one conversation," Mottau said.

Mottau, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, said he wants to be back with the Devils next season, but it's too early to tell if that will happen.

"I would like to re-sign, but it's not even close to being done," he said.

Mottau, 32, said his one conversation with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was a positive one, but not substantive enought to be optimistic or pessimistic about his future in New Jersey.

"I talked to Lou and, if it works out, I think they would love to get something done, but it's tough to be optimistic when there was only one conversation," he said.

Mottau spent three weeks after the Devils' season ended interning with a firm in Manhattan that handles institutional trading.

"I was able to meet a few people and get a feel for the business and what direction I have to go in if I choose to go that way (after he retires)," he said. "What it really reaffirmed, though, is that I want to play as long as possible."

***Right wing David Clarkson, who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1, told me today that there has been no discussion of his contract with the Devils so far.

"I have not heard a thing," Clarkson said. "I'm sure if Mr. Lamoriello had contacted my agent I would have heard, but he's got other guys too that he might be trying to work things out with. I'm not sure where he has me fitted or what the plan is."

***In addiiton to training for next season, Clarkson is getting ready to participate in the "Ride with Lance" charity cycling event with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong on Aug. 28 in Kitchener, Ontario.

Two years ago, Clarkson teamed with the Kitchener Rangers to form Clarky’s Kids. Since that time Clarky’s Kids has provided children from Grand River Hospital’s POGO (Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario) Satellite Centre the opportunity to experience the excitement of a Kitchener Rangers game and visit with players and coaches in and out of the hospital.

The "Ride with Lance" event will be raise money to support cancer programs and patient care for those living with cancer in Ontario. Clarkson said he was asked to participate in the ride because of his connections with the Kitchener Rangers and his charity.

"The money goes to kids," Clarkson said. "We've had a lot of people call and donate money and fans from New Jersey have been phoning the Kitchener Rangers. I'm not doing the whole ride, but they asked me because I have a charity in Kitchener and that's where Lance is riding. They asked me to join in and just be a part of it."

Clarkson admits he's not much of a cyclist.

"I'm kind of nervous because those guys are all serious business," Clarkson said. "I don't ride at all. I told them them that I don't ride that much, but they just wanted me to do this because of (his involvement in Kitchener and with Clarky's Kids)." And it's about raising money for cancer and awareness for kids, so it can't hurt."

Clarkson is looking forward to meeting Armstrong, a cancer survivor who will be going for his eighth Tour de France title next month.

"It's kind of nice to meet him," Clarkson said. "He's overcome a lot himself and I think you learn stuff from people like that, being around them. There's a dinner the night before and I get to invite my family, so I'm kind of excited about it."

***Clarkson said he has not been following the Stanley Cup Finals.

"I haven't been watching hockey at all," he said. "It hurts too much because I think we could still be playing and it's happened three years in a row. So, I've done some thinking and done some things myself and I'm just trying to get better in myself personally to get ready for next season."

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.